An Israeli military spokesperson confirmed that there were “hostage situations” in the southern city of Ofakim and the nearby kibbutz of Beeri.

An Israeli military spokesperson confirmed that there were “hostage situations” in the southern city of Ofakim and the nearby kibbutz of Beeri.

Hamas said it had taken “dozens” of Israeli soldiers hostage and moved them to the Gaza Strip as footage emerged appearing to show gunmen in military fatigues leading a group of mostly barefoot women down a street in Israel.

The announcement and video verified by NBC News came hours after Hamas launched a deadly land, air and sea attack and fired a huge barrage of rockets at Israel.

    • NoneOfUrBusiness
      9•1 year ago

      But since Israel unilaterally withdrew from the Gaza strip in 2005, terrorist activity spiked.

      Correction: Terrorist activity, predictably spiked after the blockade in 2007. I mean, turning countries into open-air concentration camps has that effect.

      The Israeli government oppresses the Palestinian people in response to the constant threat the region poses to Israeli civilians.

      What? How does oppressing civilians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem help combat terror? How does settlement in the West Bank help combat terror?

      Also check the official definition of Apartheid. Do you need me to tell you how Israel fits the definition?

      There’s nothing necessary about the oppression of Palestinians in Israel, Gaza or the West Bank. The terror attacks you’re talking about are the result of the oppression; don’t mix your cause and effect.

      • @DoomBot5English
        -3•1 year ago

        The main oppressors of Gaza are Hamas. The main reason for their living conditions is because building materials are taken from the Palestinian citizens to be instead used for tunnels into Israel to kill more Jews. The reason for the blockade is because Iran sends Hamas weapons by sea otherwise. Hell, even with the blockade they still try to do so.

        Of course all of these facts are comfortably ignored because “Israel bad”.

        • NoneOfUrBusiness
          2•1 year ago

          The terror came after, not before, the blockade. Just saying. And a blockade is already an act of war, so Hamas fighting is to be expected.

            • NoneOfUrBusiness
              0•1 year ago

              The terror started a solid century before then.

              1907? The conflict was definitely ongoing then, but that’s a strange definition of terror.

              Shit, the second intifada started in 2000.

              Do I really have to say “terror by Hamas-controlled Gaza” when I’m already talking about Hamas-controlled Gaza? Also, calling the second intifada terror is extremely ignorant and ignores the actual reasons it happened.

        • NoneOfUrBusiness
          2•1 year ago

          A blockade does not make a concentration camp.

          That’s a metaphor, ever heard of it? Israel doesn’t allow dual-use materials. The thing is: A lot of life’s necessities are dual use. See:

          According to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories of the Israel Defense Forces, in May 2010, this included over 1.5 million litres of diesel fuel and gasoline, fruits and vegetables, wheat, sugar, meat, chicken and fish products, dairy products, animal feed, hygiene products, clothing and shoes.

          Specifically, the blockade helps fight terror.

          The blockade caused the terror. Like literally the rocket attacks started with the blockade; you can look at the timeline. Also I like how you now narrowed your definition to the blockade, because you can’t justify anything happening to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

          Only insofar as every border everywhere fits the definition. South African Apartheid—the thing people are trying to reference in order to demonize Israel—was intra-state apartheid.

          You need to learn more about East Jerusalem. I’ll start: East Jerusalem Palestinians are systematically and routinely evicted from their homes to make way for Jewish settlements. It’s much harder for Palestinians to gain construction permits than it is for Jews. Palestinian peaceful protests are repeatedly suppressed violently. It’s almost impossible for a Palestinian in East Jerusalem to get Israeli citizenship (not that many want it, but the ones who do can’t), meaning that they live under a regime they can’t politically participate in. Should I go on? For more information, look up “Palestinian boy shoot in face by Israeli police”. There’s more than one story.

          Note how I didn’t even touch on the West Bank; that’s a whole different beast.

          Muslims and Arabs in the region have been terrorizing Jews since at least the late 1800s. They were never willing to accept any form of peace or coexistence.

          You mean anti-Jewish sentiment began to rise when the “let’s take Arabs’ lands for ourselves” movement began to gain steam? Say it ain’t so. Also give me an example of that terrorization.

            • NoneOfUrBusiness
              0•1 year ago

              Rocket fire began in 2001, the blockade began in 2007.

              Sigh it’s obvious that the second infifada doesn’t count here. Do I need to state “rocket fire by Hamas-controlled Gaza” when we’re obviously talking about Hamas-controlled Gaza?

              Look it up, it’ll take less than a minute to find a few of the early pogroms in the British Mandate. I’m not responsible for educating you.

              How is the British mandate the late 1800s?

              Do you want me to go through the security basis for a dozen more regulations? Would that be a constructive use of my time, here?

              The security basis for… Shutting down peaceful protest, evicting Palestinians from their homes, not letting them participate

              Early Zionism was entirely peaceful. Zionists purchased land in Israel, and only settled portions of land where nobody was.

              There was no way Israel was going to turn out as anything other than what it is now. A land ruled by nationalist Jews was inevitably going to oppress the Muslims in it, and it did.

    • @[email protected]English
      0•1 year ago

      I thoroughly encourage anyone on the fence about the situation to read the article you linked because it is a fantastic example of how weak Israel’s argument that they’re not an apartheid state is. It’s nothing but whataboutism and tokenism.